


All I want for Christmas is you

by MarmOTeen



Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: F/M, Romance, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:48:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27981063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarmOTeen/pseuds/MarmOTeen
Summary: A Christmas party, a poem, a song, and so it begins... Modern AU
Relationships: Anna Bates/John Bates
Kudos: 1





	All I want for Christmas is you

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! So, yesterday I heard Mariah Carey's iconic Christmas song, and I don't know why, that short story just fell upon me... So here it is, a one-shot, 100% pure Christmas fluff! Enjoy ;)

\- Oi, Bates, my dear fellow!

Robert Crawley had apparently already enjoyed a few glasses of champagne as he welcomed John Bates to the annual corporate Christmas party at Downton Abbey, on this December 23rd. Bates had hoped he would manage to escape the social gathering, but his boss hadn't taken no for an answer. He knew very well that John Bates had no family or conjugal obligation, so no excuses had been tolerated to skip the party.

\- There, go to the cloakroom to leave your things, and come have fun! boomed Robert.

Robert Crawley had inherited the Downton Abbey estate, and had transformed it into the local touristic hotspot in this rural part of Yorkshire. It was a family-run business, and provided a fair part of the little town's employment. The place could be visited, or hired for events or film shootings. There were rooms to rent, and a restaurant. A few years back, it had been the set for a well-renowned period drama, which had greatly contributed to the place's reputation. However, as a tradition, the place was closed to the public on December 23rd, and they were holding a big Christmas party for all the staff.

John Bates was coming back from the cloakroom, and admiring the majestic Christmas tree standing in the Great Hall, when Robert accosted him again, pushing a glass of champagne into his hand. John Bates had never been a great Christmas fan, and even less so in the last years. But he had to admit that the decoration team had done a great job inside and outside the Abbey.

\- Come on, Bates, time to loosen up a bit! Come enjoy yourself! teased his boss, who had clearly already loosened up himself. Go to the buffet, tuck in!

\- Alright, he sighed, and started making his way through the Great Hall towards said buffet.

Plenty of people were gathered in small groups around the well-stuffed tables, seemingly having fun. He made out a few known faces, until he came across the blond locks and his heart skipped a beat.

" _Don't go down that road, Bates!"_ he scolded himself.

But the sound of her laughter as she reacted to the obviously funny story her friend Gwen was telling made his insides flutter.

He had been working for Robert Crawley at Downton Abbey for the last six months. He had been back in Yorkshire after a cruel divorce that had left him short of his last penny, and his old army pal had been kind enough to offer him a job in the accounting department. He still remembered, on his first day, when she had entered his office and said in a friendly tone:

\- Hello, I'm Anna, head of the Events Management Department.

\- How do you do, he had formally answered, holding his hand out to her.

She had taken it, and he had felt his heart warm up when he had looked into her light blue eyes. Yet, he had made a promise to himself, after picking up his own pieces from divorcing Vera, that he would not let himself be fooled into another doomed heart story, not for a long time to come. He was done with the heartache. And he had tried and tried to hold on to that promise since, even if his heart raced each time he came across Anna, which was often, since they almost daily needed to discuss funding matters for the events she was planning with her staff. He had tried very hard not to notice the hints she was sending him, like that time, a few weeks ago, at that company incentive. They had gone, the whole team, to watch a famous musical in York. She had (by chance?) been seated next to him. In a particularly angsty moment, her hand had reached for his, and she had held onto it for quite a long time. But surely it was only the emotion from the show that had made her act like that. Nothing more. There could not be anything more between her, this so beautiful and young and clever girl, and him.

John went to the table where everyone had left their Secret Santa gifts, and put his with the rest.

Anna was laughing out loud at the story of Gwen's last failed dating app date. Mary, sipping her champagne, nudged her in the ribs:

\- So, what about you Anna? Should I set you up with someone? There's that new guy, Patrick, in the PR department, he looks nice!

Right at that moment, Anna got a glimpse of John's back, standing near the gifts table.

\- What? Mary, no please don't set me up with anyone, remember how it went last time!

Their last attempt had been a disaster, and she really didn't fancy trying again. Anyway, she already had someone in mind…

\- Is there someone already? asked her clairvoyant friend.

\- I don't know what you're talking about, answered Anna, flushing.

\- THERE IS SOMEONE, yelled Gwen excitedly. Who is it, tell us!

\- Come on Gwen, don't be so loud! And there's no one, stop it! snapped Anna, flushing more.

They didn't have time to elaborate, since Cora Crawley took the mic and told everyone:

\- Good evening everyone, we are going to give out the Secret Santa gifts, if you would all gather!

One by one, Cora took the gifts from the table and called out its recipient. Most of the gifts were funny ones, like the silly Christmas jumper Thomas Barrow had got for Mary.

\- I want to see you wearing it Mary! teased Thomas when she opened the paper and made a strange face.

It turned out that Anna had been John's Secret Santa, and John was Anna's. When all gifts had been handed out, people fanned out and went back to their conversations or to the buffet. John caught Anna unguarded and said:

\- Good evening Anna. Thank you so much for that wonderful gift.

He was carefully holding the hand-knitted woollen hat and scarf she had made for him.

\- Oh you're welcome. I love knitting, it soothes me. And thank you for that… she went on, showing the small book he had got for her. I don't know much about poetry, but I'll sure give it a try.

\- I hope you like it, it's my favourite poet, Robert Burns. There's even one poem about you in there.

She looked at him, puzzled.

\- About me? What do you mean?

He took the book from her hands, and searched for the right page.

\- See? "The Gowden Locks Of Anna"

\- Oh…

She started reading it, and soon her cheeks turned crimson when she realized that the poem was very intimate. He suddenly feared he had been inappropriate in showing it to her.

\- Oh, John, it is…

But her sentence was forever left unfinished when Mary tugged on her arm.

\- Anna, come on, we're doing a karaoke in the drawing-room!

The Crawley sisters loved to sing, and every Christmas party was the occasion for Christmas carols and songs. Anna was not much of a public singer herself, but she did like to watch them and hum along.

Mary and Edith started singing some traditional Christmas songs, as the audience grew larger and larger. "Silent night", "God rest ye Merry gentlemen" and such were sung along. When almost all the crowd had gathered into the drawing-room, Mary decided to liven up things a little, and launched "All I want for Christmas is you". Anna had been standing on the side, and her mind was still wandering over the poetry verses she had just read, and wondering if John Bates meant something special by giving her that particular book. She was put out of her reverie when Mary grabbed her sleeve one more time.

\- Come Anna, you're singing this one with us!

\- No, Mary, I don't want…

\- Anna! Come on, have fun girl!

\- Alright, she sighed, and drained the end of her champagne in one gulp. It was her third glass and the loosening effect of the bubbly drink was starting to show. She stumbled on the makeshift stage where Mary had pulled her, and took the mic Edith was handing her. They started singing the song together:

" _I don't want a lot for Christmas_

_There is just one thing I need_

_I don't care about the presents_

_Underneath the Christmas tree"_

It was then that her eyes found him in the crowd, and she found that she couldn't look anywhere else. He was returning her gaze, his mouth slightly open. From that moment on, there was only him in the room, and she sang for him only.

" _I just want you for my own_

_More than you could ever know_

_Make my wish come true_

_All I want for Christmas is you"_

Was she really looking straight at him as she sang with her friends? His mouth had gone dry when he had noticed her eyes fixed on him. Her blond hair shone so brightly around her beautiful face, the twinkle in her blue eyes made his spine tingle, and he made a point not to look to obviously to the way her red dress fitted her perfect body, or it would be his immediate undoing.

" _I don't ask for much this Christmas_

_I won't even wish for snow_

_And I'm just gonna keep on waiting_

_Underneath the mistletoe_

_I won't make a list and send it_

_To the North Pole for Saint Nick_

_I won't even stay awake to_

_Hear those magic reindeer click_

' _Cause I just want you here tonight_

_Holding on to me so tight_

_What more can I do?_

_All I want for Christmas is you"_

The end of the song became a blur and he could only hold on to her cherry lips moving in rhythm. When it finally ended, her gaze lingered on him, until she was called back to reality by Mary, laughing at her.

\- Oh my God, you fancy John Bates! she was whispering not so discreetly in her ear.

Anna suddenly realized she must have made a total fool of herself in front of all her co-workers. She suddenly felt very hot, and fled the room, in urgent need of a breath of fresh hair.

She had been working hard on getting her breathing back under control outside of the Abbey's main door, when a hand brushing on her arm startled her, and she swiftly turned around. He was here, tall and handsome in his bow tie, and smiling at her.

\- I'm… I'm sorry John, I made a fool of myself back there.

\- No, don't be sorry. You didn't. It was so sweet.

\- Really?

\- Yes.

She looked at him for a few seconds, and he added:

\- Too bad there's no mistletoe out here.

He had only uttered his last word when her lips crashed onto his. His arms folded around her and his self-promise was soon forgotten. When the need for air forced them to part from their kiss, she panted, and whispered:

\- What if we sneaked out of this party?

\- To go where?

\- My place? I live in a cottage just down there, she said, gesturing in her home's direction.

\- I'd love that, but, are you sure?

\- I've never been so sure.

\- Alright, I'll go fetch our coats.

\- Please hurry.

Ten minutes later, Anna was closing her cottage's door on the two of them. After a second's hesitation, they had engaged in another heated kiss, as her hand blindly searched for the light button on the wall near the door. Instead of finding the ceiling light button, she hit the one that controlled the blinking garland hanging on her Christmas tree. They both broke into laughter and John said:

\- Well that is nice.

Soon, clothes were scattered on the floor and Anna was found straddling John's lap on the couch. Just before things got really serious, he held her apart for a second:

\- Anna are you sure you want this?

\- I am. Shut up, she answered playfully.

\- I will, but before… Do we need to use protection?

\- No, it's alright.

\- Good. I will shut up now then, he said as he searched for her lips again.

Anna slowly woke up on the morning of the 24th of December. It took her a little while to regain consciousness, and to remember how the previous night had unfolded. It suddenly hit her all at once. The party, the gifts, the poem, the song, the kisses, the lovemaking, oh Lord the lovemaking… She shivered at the memory of how they had made love late into the night, and she didn't recall having ever spent a better time in bed. Then she woke up completely, and noticed that her bed was empty. Her heart sunk. Had he realized what stupid thing he'd done, and fled before she'd woken up? Tears started to prickle, when she heard a knock on her bedroom door. There he was, holding a breakfast tray. A small crooked smile on his lips made her heart melt.

\- Happy Christmas Anna, he said softly.


End file.
